Irate villagers ransacked a foreign liquor shop at Brahman Sarangi square under the Balianta police station on the outskirts of the city on Friday after the death of an elderly man under suspicious circumstances.
The deceased was Ravindra Sahu (55), a roadside vendor, staying at Raiadapada village on the city outskirts. On Thursday evening, he was called by two persons Arakhita Pradhan (50) and Kotari Guru (45) to go to the liquor shop. Sahu went with them and didn’t return home in the night.
On Friday morning, the villagers found Sahu’s body near the liquor shop. When they saw the body having many injury marks, the angry villagers came in a group and set ablaze the shop. The villagers said drunkards and the wine shop staff were involved in Sahu’s “murder”. Crimes are on the increase in the area due to the liquor shop, they added. Family members of Sahu alleged that he was murdered by antisocials coming to the liquor shop every day.
The villagers blocked the Bhingarpur-Balipatna road keeping the body of the deceased on the road and demanded compensation for the victim’s family. The body was sent to the Capital Hospital for post mortem. The police are investigating into the case.